Latch assembly



B. D. PRIESTMAN LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 16, 1963 INVENTOR. fw/ej/ 9.@zaai/fm2 BY @ldd/4m A 7` 7 0 R/VE Y March l, w66

United States @Patent tice 3,2%,521 Patented Mar. l5, 1966 3,240,524LATCH ASSEMBLY lliewley D. Priestman, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignor toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of DelawareFiled (let. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 316,558 3 Claims. (Cl. 292-341.14)

This invention relates to vehicle body latch assemblies and moreparticularly to shielding means for vehicle body striker means.

One feature of this inven-tion is that it provides shielding means forthe striker member of a vehicle body latch assembly wherein the strikermember projects into the door opening of the body so as to be possiblyengaged by a passenger when entering or leaving the body. Anotherfeature of this invention is to provide such shielding means which aremovable to a position permitting engagement of the latch means with thestriker member as the door is being closed. A further feature of thisinvention is to provide such shielding means for covering the strikermember when the door is in an open position and which are movable to aposition out of shielding relationship to the striker member uponengagement therewith by the door as the door is closed.

These and other features of this invention will be readily apparent fromthe following specication and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodyingshielding means according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partially broken away View of a portion ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE 2 showing theshielding means when the door is open; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View showing the shielding means in coveringrelationship to the striker member when the door is open.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle bodygenerally designated 1t) includes a front door 12 and a rear door 14which are movable between a closed position as shown and an openposition, not shown, to provide ingress to and egress from the interiorof the body. Door 14 is hinged adjacent the forward edge thereof to abody pillar, not shown, for movement between open and closed positions.A latch assembly 16 includes latch means adjacent the rear or jamb faceof door 14 cooperable with striker means 18 mounted on a body pillar 20to hold the door 14 in closed position.

The details of the latch means 16 and striker means 18 form no part ofthis invention, and reference may be had to copending application SerialNo. 273,411, Gergoe et al., led April 16, 1963, and now Patent No.3,149,866, assigned to the assignee of this invention, for such details.For the purposes of understanding this invention, the latch means 16includes a detented fork type bolt 22 which straddles the projectingannular portion 24 of the striker member 26 in the closed position ofthe door to hold the door in this position. The projecting portion 24 ofthe striker member enters within the interior of the door 14- in theclosed position of the door and includes a head or flange 2% whichengages a spring biased shoe 31) of the latch means 16.

When the door is in open position, the portion 24 of the striker meansprojects generally longitudinally of the body within the door opening 32of the body so that it is possible for a passenger or occupant of thebody to engage this projecting portion as he enters or leaves the bodyand thereby possibly injure himself. In order to prevent such injury,this invention provides a shielding means 34 which covers or shields theprojecting portion 24 of the striker means when the door is in an openposition to thereby prevent any possible inpury to the passenger.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the shielding means includes a pair of likebowed resilient members 36 and 38. A flanged end portion 40 of eachmember is suitably secured to the jamb face of the body pillar 20 tomount the members 36 and 38 thereon on substantially diametricallyopposite sides of the project-ing portion 24 of the striker means andbiased outwardly or away from the pillar Ztl. It will be noted that thefree end portions of each of the members includes a slot 42, the widthof which is slightly greater than the diameter of the projecting portion24 of the striker means so as to freely receive this projecting portiontherewithin. The free end portion of the member 36 overlaps the free endportion of the member 38 as shown, and when the door is in an openposition the engagement of the free end portion of the member 36 withthe head 28 of the portion 24 locates the members against their bias incovering or shielding relationship to the projecting portion 24, asshown in FIGURE 4, so that a passenger entering or leaving the bodycannot engage this projecting portion and thereby injure himself.

As the door is closed, the jamb face 44 of door 14 engages the member 36as the door moves toward closed position to cam the member 36 towardsthe jamb face of the pillar 20. As the member 36 moves toward the pillar20, the member 38 will move with the member 36 so that both members moveout of covering or shielding relationship to the projecting portion 24of the striker means and thereby permit this projecting portion to enterwithin the interior of the door 14 and into the latching engagement withthe bolt 22 and thereby hold the door in closed position.

Upon opening movement of the door, the members 36 and 38 will move totheir position as shown in FIGURE 4 as soon as the projecting portion 24of the striker means has moved within the interior of the door 14.

Thus, this invention provides an improved shielding means for vehiclebody striker means.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body mounting a closure for movement between open andclosed positions and a headed striker stud projecting laterally of thebody and having a shank portion engageable with latch means on theclosure to hold the closure in closed position, the improvementcomprising, a slotted resilient member secured adjacent one end thereofto said body and being engageable adjacent the slotted end thereof withthe head portion of said striker stud to embrace the shank portion ofsaid striker stud when said closure is in open position, and means onsaid closure engageable with said resilient member upon closing movementof said closure to cam said resilient member past said shank portiontoward said body and out of engagement with the head portion of saidstriker stud to permit engagement of said latch means with the shankportion of said striker member.

2. In a vehicle body mounting a closure for movement between open andclosed positions and a headed striker stud projecting from the body andhaving a portion adjacent the free end thereof engageable with latchmeans on the closure to hold the closure in closed position, theimprovement comprising, resilient means secured adjacent one end thereofto said body and having its other end slotted and being engageable withthe head of said striker stud to embrace the intermediate portion ofsaid striker stud when said closure is in open position, and means onsaid closure engageable with said resilient means upon closing movementof said closure to cam said resilient

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY MOUNTING A CLOSURE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN ANDCLOSED POSITIONS AND A HEADED STRIKER STUD PROJECTING LATERALLY OF THEBODY AND HAVING A SHANK PORTION ENGAGEABLE WITH LATCH MEANS ON THECLOSURE TO HOLD THE CLOSURE IN CLOSED POSITION, THE IMPROVEMENTCOMPRISING, A SLOTTED RESILIENT MEMBER SECURED ADJACENT ONE END THEREOFTO SAID BODY AND BEING ENGAGEABLE ADJACENT THE SLOTTED END THEREOF WITHTHE HEAD PORTION OF SAID STRIKER STUD TO EMBRACE THE SHANK PORTION OFSAID STRIKER STUD WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS IN OPEN POSITION, AND MEANS ONSAID CLOSURE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RESILIENT MEMBER UPON CLOSING MOVEMENTOF SAID CLOSURE TO CAM SAID RESILIENT MEMBER PAST SAID SHANK PORTIONTOWARD SAID BODY AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HEAD PORTION OF SAIDSTRIKER STUD TO PERMIT ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LATCH MEANS WITH THE SHANKPORTION OF SAID STRIKER MEMBER.